If there are going to be any changes in gun laws and I have no opinion, really, it doesn't affect me or is it effect me? I never get that right, but something to look at that I never hear mentioned is when a veteran applies for a firearm permit, barring extreme documented mental illness which almost never shows up, the veteran is almost automatically given the firearm permit. There is a very serious problem of veterans committing suicide, almost always by way of gun.

I have always thought suicide is one of the occurrences if the gun wasn't there at the moment of deepest desperation perhaps the person could come out of it a bit and live to live another day.I just never hear that mentioned, or ,maybe I'm not reading much about the whole issue and I've missed it. Has this issue been brought up much in the debate?

Yeah, gpig, some people do kill themselves on impulse. Not that they haven't been feeling bad, but there can be a particularly bad day or event that pushes them over. And if they don't have an easy method at hand, they're forced to wait a a while & possible feel a bit better.

Dick's Sporting Goods is reportedly destroying all their AR15 type weapons and accessories for them (in an approved manner).

“We are in the process of destroying all firearms and accessories that are no longer for sale as a result of our February 28th policy change,” a spokeswoman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We are destroying the firearms in accordance with federal guidelines and regulations.”

Posters at Daily Kos are enthusiastic about this move and some claim they will shop there more. One poster talked about getting a rifle case for their "light sabers". Another poster recommended a fishing rod case.

Umm, call me cynical but....."The unsold inventory will be destroyed at the company’s distribution centers and the parts will be sent to a salvage company for recycling, said Dick’s, which did not provide a number of guns to be demolished"

My translation?, The stocks and barrels that make them "look" evil will proably be destroyed but it's that tricky recycle verbiage. What I think it means? The lower receivers and bolt group will be re-sold to "the highest bidder" in bulk. The bolt group and lower are what makes an AR an AR, the other stuff is what makes them look like ARs. The bolt group and lower are worth about 3/4 of the price of the rifle.

Hmm, interesting take. I don't know guns at all though so no true idea what this means. Sounds like more information should be forthcoming than what they provided if they are going for goodwill and want what they have chosen to do to be properly explained.

It's technically called the bolt carrier group. In any event, combined with the lower receiver it's about $400. I don't think Dicks is throwing them way either. Here's how it works; they get sold to a foreign country arms dealer so they are not in America any longer. But since they are not select fire and not illegal in America the arms dealer sells them back to the market with the most demand so they get the best price which is.... America, to say a Cheaper than Dirt (for example) or similar company.

Interestingly enough the corporate guys that run Dicks may not even know they will end up back in America. But there's an attorney that does and he conveniently forgets to mention it when he comes up with this great idea that buys him some good will from the corporate guys running Dicks. Of course that is until one of those serial numbers end up back in the news because it turned up laying on the floor of a school hall next to dead kid who was mad at everyone who picked on him.

That's terrible if it happens that way. I believe there are other problems causing these darn shootings but until everyone can make informed decisions without the underhanded sneakiness, how the heck do we move forward with a policy?

I don't completely understand how company B can make money doing what you described but I don't doubt it happens.

You had asked on the phone, but we had to go, why it's called the "carrier group" I doubt anyone else is interested but hey you never know, other than the obvious, it carries the bolt, but it is what else is contained in that group and how it is moved that makes the AR a genius of mechanical engineering.

The carrier is moved forward and backwards by gas that is trapped from the initial round's explosion which is the only movement in traditional way There are no traditional springs, which at the time was pretty unique.

Even civilians, and I would bet even folks here have heard the M16 (original military nomenclature for the AR 15) is a bad rifle, because it jams. Not true. It jams because the inventor told the military they must not use ball type ammunition/powder but they went ahead and used it anyway. Residue from cheaper powder builds and clogs the "trap" causing jams. Once again, good kids in Vietnam died because they couldn't be first on the trigger during a confrontation, all due to the government thinking they were smarter than an obvious genius who spent his life developing that one rifle.

My buddy Como and I, when we were young soldiers (We were solders once and young) had pooled our money together to buy the book The Black Rifle, It is considered the bible of the rifle and is quite expensive - but if you want to know about the rifle. The Black Rifle is the book to read. Anyway we came to a page where the inventor, Gene Stoner, an assistant and a guy with a booney hat, big dark glasses - obvious CIA or intelligence officer were photographed looking at the Bolt Carrier Group. The caption said; An "unidentified admirer examines the bolt carrier group. We laughed often about that photograph and caption, how the intelligence guy was an "unidentified admirer". Memories.

Anyway there you have it, I'm sure no one is interested but if you want to make informed opinions EP, I'm happy to talk to you all day long about that rifle. I don't consider myself and expert on anything except that rifle. And I'm not trying to say anyone should be able to go out and buy one, I don't believe that anymore rather I'm defending the engineering of the rifle which was as I said, genius. It saved my life many times, Thank you Eugene Stoner

Yes Lynx, it should have, I believe that now with all my heart. It is much too powerful for civilian use. It is a killing machine, as it was intended to be. for good or bad we needed it then because the other guy for the USSR, Mikhail Kalashnikov was inventing a rifle oF equal genius although with as different a concept as our countries were at the time

On the subject of guns, we had something at our high school where we walked into the gym and stood for respect and silence for 15 minutes (15 for the 15 dead in Florida) It was about 3 weeks ago. I went to it. I have nothing against guns, I use them for hunting purposes. It puts food on the table, but I hate that they are being used to kill innocents, especially young ones! I don't feel safe sometimes and I wanted to go for respect and awareness on what's happening. To let others who are scared know that we are here for each other. Then I saw a girl flashing photos. Why? Apparently for the yearbook and the news. This was not supposed to be a publicity stunt! I feel awful now. I feel like my standing up was no longer for the purpose it was supposed to be for. It's been 3 weeks and I'm still very upset about it. This was a private matter for the students and for respect to those who have died. Not only was she taking photos but as soon as she told the teacher she was done we were sent back. How long were we in there? 4 minutes! I wouldn't mind the time if they had been honest from the start and didn't use this tragedy among the nation for their own publicity. I don't know if I should speak out to the principal or leave it be. I'm very conflicted and emotional about the subject and was wondering if anyone went through something similar or had advice?

p.s never saw it on the news, but I don't have a yearbook yet so I can't speak for that

Kaileve, I can't give you any advice but if I can make an observation. When I wasn't much older than you and believed in something, I was used in a way that gave me tremendous regret. I finally worked it out, and working out things like this is what you will do with time and experience also.

But for your immediate situation what I have found is that it is what is in your heart that matters. You did something for all the right reasons, something you believed in. That others may have had other reasons doesn't matter towards what you did.

I thank you for doing what you did. As I read you were a person that hunts and likes guns but wanted to support people who were harmed by others using guns in a heinous manner I was pleased to know young people can make such mature decisions. You did well, it's what's in your heart.